Pendulum scale



May 16, 1950 R. M. BOWMAN 2,508,011

PENDULUM SCALE Filed April 21, 1947 IIIIIIHII FIG 6% Patented May 16,1950 UNITED STAT ES 2,508,011.

*PENDULUM sense I I Reginald M. Bowmang-BaltimoregMah Application April2-1, 1947;sentmm iiziziee "2' Claims.

. 1 o ff'fiis invention refers to weighing equipment and me"particularly to the smaller-types of used for"domestic,"store, diet; andpostage purposes.

"The general typeof scales used for the weighing oiilight quantities ofmaterials have various forms tha require springs of some nature or kindor adjustableiweights manipulated on a bar or the totls'uitthe variousitems to be weighed. The springs have the disadvantage of" wearing outor lic'omingfstrained sufiicientlyto render their accuracyiiuestionable.The'adjustment of weights in the other instances, for weighing purposes,requires" manual adjustment that takes uptime, and fiipends greatly onthe personal judgment andi'e ysight of the operator. This inventionaizoiiisfthe employment of springs and the use of adjustable weights. Itprovides instead scales that*can"be accurately set at thebeginning' andafterwards retain their accuracy without involv-' ing changes in theparts or'structure of the device.

"It-3s therefore an object of this invention to pro d a new and improvedscalethat will avoid tll ieusebf springs and adjustable weights in itsregular operation.

' An ther object q of the present invention is:v to p ovide'new'andimproved scales that will avoid be relatively simple yet at the sametime being effective andeasy to use.

A further objectof the invention'is to provide a new and improved scalesthat will be suitable forthe weighing of 'small'articl'es and besuitable for use on a table or horizontal place, while at the same time,be capable of having a sturdy construction easy to use during theweighing, and readingdirectly on its weighing structure.

qb th'er objects will become apparent as the inventionis furtherdescribed.

For a better appreciation of the invention and its objects, reference ismade to the appended drawings and the following specifications,- whichtogether detail particular structure of the invention by way of example,while the scope of 'the invention and the principles thereof can bediscerned in the claims.

In the particular form of the invention shown in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a scale structure embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a modified form of the invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

complicated mechanisms in their"structure and The particularconstruction illustrtemrmn postage-matter, and -h'as'a base ill withfiat upperthem through -aptedeter'mmed arei atetravel Side-brackets 1I14 support theiwails i2- in -an i'ip tended" bottom portions ii et i'he"'-wails spra-dout acrossthe base' l:il and produce asubstantialfoundation for the walls "to set on a'nd pr'eventtheir overturning, evenwi'th th'e' -items to be weighed, on: the some. These exten'dedportionsl5 andpreferably arcuateiy enlarged and s'er ve to protect the curvedprotrusions ifi and i1, respec tively to th'e front and back ofthependulum 13:.

The stem: I8 of the pnd irlilin is attalih'e'd' 'td tl' ie'- weightedprotrusions i6 --'aIidl l where they coiii'el' together" adjaoent' aweight 2 u set penmanently' in the structure of i thei-pe'nd-ulu m; Thestefn til -ls normally offset outside the ax ial p'lane of the walls -i2" and formed-with its 'upper portion Iii-at an angle' towards --theiront of the scales. The stem i-8- is supportd or1 an aitle 25 havingits end portions. pointed -arid lield in journals--22, whichare-adiustable in t'ne walls I21 A- cross bar- 23'-'is hold themtogether-against spreading in a suitable manner. The stem I 8 supports achannel shank 24 on its-en porti'onby means of a pin2i,

duringits travel. The shank fl has a weighing plate 26 rigidly securedon its top'in a normally ho'rizontal positi'on. "A link 21 fastens'thewalls the "lat fibrin vertical alignment as travels up' and dofwn andadjusts itself' on" the" pins 2 andournais as: The "marking'sprdn'clices3o placed on the protrusions l6 and IT on the pendulum i3 indicate theamount of the weights placed on the plate 26 when the particularmarkings register with a fixed indicator 40 mounted on the bottomportion l5 of the walls i2. The protrusions l6 and I! together form anarcuate contour and are faced flat to enable the indices of the markingsto show clearly. The position of each index in relation to the indicator40 as it aligns therewith, shows the value of the item weighed insuitable units. In this instance, a. postage rate is marked and givesthe amount of postage directly, for the item that is placed on the plate26. As the pendulum l3 swings on its axle 25 when the shank 24 travelsdown under the weight of the object on the plate 26, it exertssuflicient leverage on the rest of the pendulum to rotate the bottomportion so the protrusions l6 and I1 will travel through an arc towardsthe left carrying the weight 20 out of its neutral and balanced positionto a position that will cause it to balance the item on the plate 26.The more weight placed on the plate 26, the more it will displace thependulum I3 and its weight 20 thereon, from its normal placement. Thisaction will also keep the main center of gravity of the scales actingalong the same line at the same time, even as the weight on the plate 26is varied. The channel shank 24 is arranged on one side of the verticalaxis of the yoke member H while the weight 20 is acting on the oppositeside to keep the center of gravity situated as described. As theweighing plate 28 lowers on the scales the pendulum protrusions l6 and Hare moved away from under the plate, so they will not interfere with thetravel of the plate 26 and channel shank 24 downwardly. This enables thescales to be of small height and to require less space than otherwisewould be the case. The amounts derived during weighing are shown plainlyon the arcuate protrusions in the markings 30. The pendulum 13 in actingas it does, shows the working parts in operation in a conspicuous mannerso that the user is assured that the device is functioning by mereobservation. The scale has another feature of interest in that itaffords a facile way for determining its level and whether it isproperly set for use. When the scale is out of level, the pendulum movesout of line and its markings 3D register similarly, out of line, withthe indicator. The base is levelled by the user, until the indicator 2tis aligned with the zero or equivalent mark on the.- pendulum, and meansmay be used to keep it in that position. This usually requires asuitable: lamina inserted under the base I to raise it at. one end tomake it level.

In the modified form shown in Figure 4 theweight plate is in the form ofa pan 36 suspended on the stem 42 by a harness 30 and withoutthe channelshank. The stem 42 of the pendulum 33 is longer and of a differentcontour in order to permit the pan or plate 36 to extend further awayfrom it than in the previously described.

form. For alike practical reason, the framework- 32 is arcuately formedto allow the pan 36 toswing towards it Without striking. This alsoplacesthe framework 32 towards the rear of thebase ili. This gives an L-shapedoutline to thescales, with the pan 38 between the top of the frame andthe base In. The pendulum 33 as-- sumes a contour of arcuate form whichis gen-' erally similar to that shown at I3 and has similar" protrusions46 and 41 aligned with the contour of the framework 32. The operation issimilar tothat of the scales shown in Figure 1. When plate 3B is loweredby a weight placed thereon, the protrusion 46 moves out of the way. Anadjusting crossbar 34 is used in the framework 32 below the pin 35 thatsupports the pendulum 33 and serves to keep the walls of the frameworksuitably rigid and adjusted. The indicator 3'! is mounted on theframework 32 so as to register appropriately with the markings on thependulum.

While but two general forms of the invention. are shown in the drawingsand described in the specifications it is not desired to limit thisapplication for patent to these particular forms or in any other wayotherwise than limited by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A weighing scale comprising a base, a frame secured thereto andextending upwardly therefrom, a Weighted element, an upward extension onsaid element, pivot means between said extension and said frame, saidweighted element being normally on a vertical axis passing through thepivot point and the center of said weighted element, arcuate extensionson said weighted element extending co-extensively on each side of thecenter thereof, said extensions bearing weightindicating indicia,legibile on either side of said element, an indicator cooperating withsaid indicia, a plate to support articles to be weighed,

a stem connected to said plate and pivot meanshetween said stem and saidaforementioned extension.

2. A weighing scale comprising a base, a frame secured thereto andextending upwardly therefrom, a weighted element, an upward extension onsaid element, means on said frame for pivotally connecting said weightedelement to said frame, said weighted element beingnormally on :avertical axis passing through the pivot point and the center of saidweighted element, arcuate extensions on said element extending co-extensively on each side of the center thereof, said extensions bearingweight-indicatingindicia legibile on either side of said element, anindicator cooperating with said indicia, a plate to support articles tobe weighed, a stem connected to said plate and pivot means between saidstem and said aforementioned extension and a pivoted link con- :nectingsaid stem and said frame.

REGINALD M. BOWMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the idle ofthis patent:

